Staulters, 22, of Rock City Road in Milton admitted in court that he was driving drunk when he struck Liedel on West Milton Road.

Liedel, a Milton resident, would have been a Ballston Spa High School sophomore this year.

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Neighbors said Staulters was driving home from a graduation party and swerving all over the road before he struck Liedel. Her family said the girl had gone swimming with two friends and was walking to her uncle's house when Staulters appeared. According to Liedel's grandmother, the three friends were walking north on West Milton Road just after 8:30 p.m., but one had forgotten her cell phone and turned back while Liedel and the other girl waited near a mailbox.

Staulters was headed south in his 2003 Ford Escape when he suddenly crossed the white line on the right side of the road and drove onto the right shoulder, where Liedel and her friend were waiting. Staulters struck and killed Liedel and narrowly missed the other girl. Neighbors who witnessed the crash called 911 and ran to the scene of the accident. Staulters was uninjured.

"Staulters drove drunk and killed this little girl who was barely a teenager," Saratoga County District Attorney James A. Murphy III said. "She was taken from her parents at such a young age. While we can never fill the void left in her parents' hearts, we are satisfied that the defendant admitted he drove drunk and killed her, and that he will have a felony record and go to state prison."

Assistant District Attorney Patrick J. Campion prosecuted the case and commented, "While no sentence will bring Kari back to her family, hopefully some measure of justice for her and all those who loved her has been achieved."

Staulters is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 30 at which time two sentencing options are possible: He could either receive a sentence of two to six years in state prison or allow Judge Jerry Scarano to choose a sentence anywhere from

2-1/3 to seven years in prison.

Under either option, the defendant will lose his driver's license for one year and be forced to install an ignition interlock device on any vehicle he owns or operates when he is released from prison.

On Facebook, Liedel's mother, Sarah, wrote of collecting victim impact statements to present before the judge. These written or oral statements are an opportunity for crime victims -- in this case Liedel's friends and family -- to share the effect the crime has had on them in court before sentencing.

"Today, Gavin Staulters stood in front of a judge in Saratoga County Court and confessed his guilt," Sarah Liedel wrote. "There will be no trial; sentencing is to be determined by the judge on Jan. 30 at 9:15 am. If this tragedy affected your life or the life of someone you love, please write a victim impact statement to be read by the judge prior to sentencing, as well as by the parole board. I will be making a statement at the sentencing."